Lovin all the pics! :-) Just awesome!

4 hot sunny days in a row... 86 degrees, 86, 89, and today will top out at 89 degrees...

Trish, I'm so happy that the vet is happy with Rosie! Such a relief for you and Rosiekins. Kelly, Spike is quite awesome and I love the way he and your kitty seem to be friends. Lovely pic with kitty and your beautiful child.

It is awful how all the enticing photos of roses make me feel so enabled. If you're all buying roses, why can't I? Well, I'm buying them too but I mean more, lots more than I had planned on. The picture of Bolero is calling to me, that has to be one of the most gorgeous white roses ever. Lovely photo also of Winchester Cathedral and Distant Drums. It's all awesome, and I especially adore the beautiful companion plants which add so much of the color and shapes that roses lack, and which swirl and cuddle around them in the most endearing way. That reminds me, need to plant two penstemons and a mimulus when it's cooler tonight. Think I'll co-opt my sweetie's help on that.

Why does my Walmart have such a pitiful selection of roses?

They all looked healthy but not a thing that was the least bit exciting

They need a new buyer

This is one of my most used companion plants, tall trailing mix nasturtiums. I stick the seeds all over in late spring and they are perfect for filling in space. You can eat them too we eat them while walking around the yard and add them to salads.

It's like that here too Kristine...just an aweful selection. I'm sort of annoyed because during spring when roses at online stores were in stock I thought I had plenty, but now that I've made more progress on the yard I see where I want more but what I want I now have to wait for.

My local selections have gotten worse since I started and now I regret not getting many while I could. Lowe's used to carry many Korde's, but not any loner. Perhaps just one or two of the Kolorscape and always the same ones. They did have some Arborose, but no names on any of them. Pippa, I love nasturium, but have never been successful with them. Perhaps my soil is too rich. You can eat the leaves also which are delicious chopped into egg salad giving it a sharp peppery flavour.

Ours are awful as well. Home Depot and Lowe’s are just as bad. I read on here other people getting good stuff at local box stores so I asked at Home Depot when one of the suppliers was there. She looked at me like I was nuts when I asked about Kordes and Austin roses. “Those are premium roses.“

That was it.

Okaaaaay. Sorry I asked.

I haven't checked at lowes or home depot yet but Walmart had one that looked like maybe something I would like and it was sweet spirit but I didn't like it enough to pay $29 for it

I have never had a bit of luck with nasturtiums and I really like them. I keep trying every year

I have no idea why I have such bad luck with them.

So, good on you Pippa for growing such healthy beautiful nasturtiums

Wouldn't it be cool to be a buyer?

We would sure stock some beauties

flowers - Heirloom has Portlandia on sale at the moment for $32.80! Sorry for the enabling!

Portlandia

My rose is quite pale compared to the Heirloom photos and the photo below which I took in 2017 at our annual rose society exhibition. I wish I knew who brought this rose because it was very well grown. I really liked the fragrance which is why I got it.

vaporvac - My Maroon Eight is just planted with other roses. I don't have companion plants because I'm always trying to squeeze in more roses in. :))

Ann

I have been drooling over Portlandia but didn't know anyone that was growing it

What a fabulous color. I can't wait to see how it does for you

@Ann - moonlight has a fragrance. One time it smelt like fresh laundry hanging in the sun. Another time is was more citrus like. That Portlandia is a pretty one too. Reminds me a bit of photos I've seen of Crazy Love.

So I think I may have found an id for my mystery purple. I'm thinking it may be Midnight Blue. On HMF there are so many variations in colour and bloom form, that it looks to be possible.

Pippa, I have grown the tall single trailing nasturtium for years, plus a bunch of other types. It's my favorite, and I love your photo. The tall single is an antique type used in the beautiful hanging baskets decorating the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. I've wanted to visit this museum for years. Gardner left her art collection to Boston with the stipulation that it be housed in her mansion, which would become a public museum.

Kristine, one problem I have in growing nasturtiums in my flowers beds is that the quail eat the seedlings in the beds they hang out in. In my other flower beds, the nasturtiums do just fine. I wonder if critters are eating your nasturtium seedlings. I have noticed that nasturtiums like a bit of shade (in our area, anyway). Too much hot sun spots the leaves and seems to inhibit growth.

Ann, Portlandia is gorgeous, and what beautiful photos you show of it. Wasn't it hybridized by John Clements, the founder of Heirloom roses? Are the blooms large, and does it bloom a lot. I'm going to check that one out.

Trish, I'm so glad you're back and Rosie is doing better. You do deserve a break and dinner out. You are so lucky to grow those luscious orchids in pots outside. I love them. And your pond looks great. As someone else mentioned, all the tadpoles should be wreaking havoc on the mosquito larva.

Kelly, I'm glad your little cutie's eye is better. Is Spike an iguana? Seeing him takes me back to my college days, and the biology department's pet iguana who lived his life in a big glass tank under heat lamps. I swear I didn't see that guy move an inch in all the years I spent in the science labs.

Blondie, I love your Sea Kale, and I want to try it. Your roses are looking mighty fine, particularly Winchester Cathedral and Carding Mill with its lovely coloring. I'm impressed with your peony (Karl?). Tons of blooms, and of course, the weather always messes them up--happens to mine. I thought it was interesting, but annoying, about the names of Garden and Home/Moonlight in Paris, and Home and Garden/Sisters Fairy Tale. I grew three Sisters for years until I got sick of their problems and removed them. Here's a photo of Sisters. Diane

Dianela, I loved seeing Rangiku's photos. What a lovable bundle of energy and so sweet when sleeping. Your Olivia rose is luscious--wish mine were as lovely. It's lots better, but not quite where it should be, or as nice as yours.

Jim, your beautiful Bloomstruck hydrangeas are convincing me that's the one I want to try growing. It's just gorgeous. Can you post some more photos? You're running hotter temps than we are. This has been a Seattle spring here. Not a lot of heat. And I don't miss it.

Lisa, I hope you're feeling better after the spill down the hill. I know what that's like with our slopes going every direction. How is Millie doing? She looked full of spunk in her photos. So glad to see them. Finn, the intrepid explorer (he stays on our property, actually) has managed to pick up ticks on a regular basis in spite of the anti tick medication he's received. It's high tick season around here. Yuck.

Some old photos of our tick filled hills. Diane

Ann, thanks for the the link, and enabling is always welcome. SO tempting! Heirloom is expensive! Even their sale prices are more than I normally pay. I rarely order since I have a good selection close by, but I'm thinking about waiting until next season. I honestly thought it was a European rose not available here, so I'm very glad to know Heirloom has it. If they developed it, they're probably the only ones that sell it. It would look good with Moonlight in Paris.

Oh, mercy! Diane, I thought you said you grew Three Sisters. I've found any number of Sisters, but not three. There are Two, Seven and Ten Sisters. I finally figured it out. It is so beautiful and much nicer than the ones on HMF. I bet you were sorry they had to go. What kind of problems did they have? I vaguely remember you telling about them a long time ago.

Your mountains look like they're from another world and kind of desolate, so different from your green gully. Are they popular with hikers? Very nice moody photography. What do you do about Finn's ticks? Will he let you remove them, or does the vet have to do it? Does Clancy prefer to stay indoors, or is he just lucky he didn't get any?

Pippa, I love my Compassion! She is sending out a huge cane with very few thorns. Foliage is so healthy and dark green. Nice sweet fruity scent too.

Compassion is so pretty.

I think this will be the year to order some more orangy roses, along some hot pinks.

Here is a lame question

If I planted a rose in miracle grow soil do I need to fertalize for the next 6 months ?

Belinda’s Blush from Antique Rose Emporium. She is known to ball in wet weather, but since we have dry summers I risked it. A couple of blooms balled during our coastal fog mornings of the past couple months, but otherwise she is blooming her heart out. I don’t detect much fragrance, slightly fruity now and then, but she is healthy and only has prickles on the backs of her leaves.

Wowser! Summer is definitely here! Thursday and Friday we hit 90F by noon and today it was 89F at 11:00am! I picked up a couple perennial fennel plants at 50% off and planted them Thursday morning and that end of the garden was dry as a bone and rock hard. Hard to believe we were slogging in mud just a week ago! Many of my newly planted this spring plants are wilting really bad by noon. Well I'll get to use my new Brass Bullet hose my hubby bought me for Mothers Day. Didn't think I would ever need it this year!

Remember that earlier post that said David Austin roses were at Lowe's? When I went to my dentist (got a temp fix - couldn't get me in for a real appointment for over a month!) I stopped at the Lowe's up there and they had DA Mary Rose. I know it's not very disease resistant but is hardy to zone 4 so I brought it home. Pulled out my Litchfield Angel bareroot from Burpees that was received dead and still dead and got Mary put in.

My daylilies are carrying the show now! I know a lot of people don't like them but some years if it wasn't for them I wouldn't have had any flowers in the garden. I went to take some pics this morning and my batteries are dead. Maybe later.....

Your Lowe's seems to carry the exact same ones as mine!

Kristine, I would say that with Miracle grow soil you would be good at least 3 months, but 6? I probably wouldn’t fertilize right before winter in the PNW, but if they have already been in soil 3 months I might give them something like alfalfa or kelp based for a midsummer boost now. Or horse manure if you can get it. Something relatively mild but full of minerals and organics. Here in SoCal I do fall fertilizer on my roses since they bloom all fall & winter after resting in the heat of summer here. I had a Golden Celebration and Darcey Bussell with blooms starting in the fall’s cooler weather and going straight through to mid June! Slight pause in January. Never lost the old leaves and still super healthy without any fungal issues! They are evergreen here.

Diane - Portlandia was hybridized by John Clements and gets very tall but stays upright from what I'm told. The bloom in the pic above I posted from our rose show was easily 5 inches or more. I love your landscape photos. I think you referred to Boise as a desert and I didn't realize that. It reminds me of some areas of central Oregon which I also believe are desert-like. When I hear the word ticks I think of Lyme disease which I hope isn't prevalent!

flowers - as long as Heirloom is in business I think Portlandia will always be available. I've read that it can get 8-10 get tall without support. I planted it in front of a back wall of my home so hopefully it will be ok. I used to have Grande Dame there and she got about that tall too without support so I'm sure it'll be fine.

Stephanie - Compassion and Belinda's Blush are so pretty! I'll enjoy yours from a distance because I'm out of room for any more roses.

lkayetwvz5 - Mary Rose has been excellent for me as a tree standard. I know I'm in a totally different climate but Mary has been a good bloomer with nice fragrance. This is the most recent pic I have from a few months ago. Sorry that the photo is a bit under exposed but it does show how Mary has a light violet undertone that makes her pink color a little different. It's a similar undertone that my Bishop's Castle has. Sorry about your Litchtfield Angel, hopefully Mary will do well for you in zone 5!

Ann

I love that color of Mary! Plays nicely with others:)

Thanks Stephanie that's kind of what I was thinking I really don't want to
fertilize too far in to the end of summer and I didn't want to over fertilize

I have never used miracle grow as a potting soil before I just didn't want it put in too much fertilizer

Your Mary Rose is just perfection, Ann. Just shows that Austin's oldies are still goodies.

I need to clarify those hills' photos a bit. They were taken with a zoom lens, and the result is a more barren look--the grasses and sagebrush don't show up. These are foothills, and just beyond them are the beginnings of mountains. A big, well known ski area is just a few miles up the road from Boise--Bogus Basin Ski Area. Beyond the drier mountains, up the hiway is true woodland and a totally different climate--zone 5, and lots of trees and snow. Many people live up there, including a friend of mine. This is less than twenty miles away, and her husband has always commuted to Boise, which can get tricky in winter. As for us, a typical year would show about 10 inches of total precipitation--snow, rain, everything. Sorry to repeat that statistic.

Stephanie, your Darcey is beautiful, and Compassion, too. Of course, I love Golden Celebration which is one of my favorite Austin roses.

Ikaye, you are hot! Wouldn't it be nice to have some moderation in weather? I hope your dental problems get solved soon--I don't think I could wait a month. We seem to have an excess of dentists in this town.

Flowers, Sisters Fairy Tale just couldn't take our heat. After the first lovely flush, they rapidly declined into a burnt up mess. The repeat was not good, but that didn't matter much because the repeat never looked good. I transplanted my Tamora and an Apricot Drift, and they are wonderful in the freed up prime spot. Sisters had a five year chance, and those roses did nothing but decline. Tamora is one of my favorites. Note my comments on the barren hills photos. They accentuated the dry look.....My granddaughter is an expert with the forceps and correct tick removal. Some of the ticks were on Finn's fur and had not clamped on, so they were flicked off and stomped with glee. These ticks can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, not Lyme Disease. I don't think we have any Lyme Disease in Idaho. I don't think Finn's anti tick med is working. We have tall native grasses and sagebrush right up to our back yard in places where Finn lies down and also likes to prowl, while other areas on the slope to the gully are barren due to the quail. Sagebrush is a bad fire fuel, but the grasses are OK, according to a recent talk by an expert to the neighborhood. Clancy's chronic illnesses must repel the ticks-ha. Diane

Here's Tamora again.

Above are also Julia Child and some Young Lycidas. I can't begin to convey how huge those Julia Child roses are. The larger of the two must be ten feet wide. Below is the smaller of the two, about 8 feet wide. Yikes. Diane

Kristine, that's a very good question! I guess you could go by the NPK. I hope someone knows and tells us. I wouldn't think natural organic material could hurt.

Belinda's Blush is beautiful, Stephanie. I'd love to have it, but too tender for here. Compassion is also very lovely and hardy! What a beautiful rose.

Ikaye, happy to hear you got in to see the dentist, if not for a permanent fix, at least you're out of pain - I hope! And, rewarded with Mary Rose.

Ann, If I order Portlandia now, it will have to overwinter in the garage with others I won't get planted this year. Even if I have to pay more, I should wait. I love that it's a tall rose. That means it might get 4 or 5 feet here. I'm excited to know it's available. Thank you! So glad you posted the photo! Your Mary Rose brings back memories of a great rose. I grew her in CA, but not yet, here. Yours is definitely a bloomer.

I was working outside last night when my husband came out to spread Milorganite on the other side of the house. He didn't see me, then went in and locked up. I started knocking and ringing the bell before dark, and that went on until it was pitch dark. No street lights out here. Too far to walk to a neighbor's to call him. I was getting worried I'd have to spend the night on the porch. My phone was inside on the charger. I went to every door, banging and ringing. He was in the basement and couldn't hear a thing. I knew he would turn in for the night thinking I was in the library, reading. If he went upstairs, I was sunk. He wouldn't hear me from there. Obviously I got in, but there are dents in the back door where I banged on it with a hose attachment. When he opened the door, all he said was "what are you doing out there"? grrrrr. But, he digs great holes, and carries big bags of manure for me, so I'm keeping him.

You need a secret key for next time! That's so scary.

flowers, that is a scary scenario and must have been awfully stressful. My husband and I often retire at different times, but never without a good-night kiss so we always know where the other one is. Perfect combination of pleasure and practicality.

I happen to love the common day lilies for the golden color and different shape they lend to the rose garden, and used to have lots until the bunnies ate most of them. Some of them came back and I now have three, but of course none of the expensive ones with the pretty colors.

I'm so very happy to finally have another La France blooming since it's one of my favorite roses, but unhappily the thrips or something else have attacked many of the roses including this one. Fortunately there's a long blooming season here and I'll hope for better days.

Rosette Delizy's blooms are also affected, lacking their usually luminous quality.

Oh my gosh so many of these photos are just breathtaking. Wow.

I woke up today to some great Charles Darwin blooms and a cool poppy too...

This was from earlier in the day

Oooh, Pippa, I like that fringy poppy!

Ingrid, those are two of my favorite roses, if only I could grow them. I think the thrips have been worse this year. Yes, my little scene last night was scary because it gets so dark out here. Cecil is a good man, and your nightly routine is how it should be, but when my husband falls asleep in his easy chair in the basement, he can barely stagger upstairs, let alone come find me. He winds down early and I come alive the later it gets. But, last night I did have tears in my eyes because I was running out of options.

Vaporvac, we do have a secret key, but silly us, it was locked in the garage. Good lesson.

Diane, Tamora with the deep purple snap is really really pretty. My Tamoras did good last year, but are just ho hum this year. One is next to Munstead and the combination is similar to your pic. In the last pic, with the peony and rose, does that happen every year, or was it because of the strange weather, that peonies and roses were blooming together? I don't think mine have ever bloomed at the same time until this year. BTW, what rose is that? I was wondering if you were going to keep the rest of your photos to yourself. More, more!

Jim, I can't believe how quickly your Bloomstruck became the main attraction of your yard. It looks huge. When I had Rozanne, it had long vining stems, not a mound. Yours is a great bloomer.

flowers - I've found that Heirloom offers a decent sale on Cyber Monday. You can schedule delivery for a few months later when you're ready to plant.

pippa - love your Charles Darwin! Mine is asleep right now but had a great display in spring.

Ingrid - La France and Rosette Delizy are so pretty!

Ann

So a few hours later and Charles Darwin is a softer color now.

Thank you for that information Ann. I always wait for the ARE Cyber Monday sale and didn't realize Heirloom had one too. It's a good thing they have such different roses!

Diane, I didn't make much sense upthread about Tamora. Sorry that was so disjointed. I was being pulled in a couple different directions at the time, and I'm not a good multi-tasker. I'm sure you figured out what I was trying to say.

Ann, I'm going to sign up for Heirloom's notifications so I don't miss out. Thanks, again! Portlandia has that Augusta Luise look that I love.

Vapor, are you going to order Portlandia, too? I hope so, then we can compare notes on our new babies. Heirloom is expensive, but not as expensive as Grace Rose Farm. Did you order from them?

Pippa, your Charles D gets better and better. I like the softer color, but he's a good yellow from start to finish.

My second batch of alfalfa tea is waiting. It sat a couple days too long, so it does smell horrible. Not sure I'll do this again. Trish was right. Up to 4 days it has a good earthy barn yard smell, after 4 days, it's bad.

Hello everyone, this thread is moving very fast with all kinds of amazing pictures of roses and pets.

Flowers thank you for such nice comments about Ragiku. I named her after one of my favorite anime character from Bleach (a popular Japanese series). Depending on the Kanji used it could be translated to chrysanthemum. In this series she is a shinigami, (death god) and her katana's soul was a very playful cat =) I really love Japanese and Egyptian everything. A Sphinx cat with a Japanese name was perfect for me. She is a super cuddler and wants to be the center of attention at all times. I really love love your pictures of Wildeve and quicksilver. Could you please tell me how is the repeat on quicksilver in the future. I am having a lot of trouble with the super healthy Kordes not repeating well, except for Bourdox. I would love to add quicksilver with that amazing color, but don't want any more super slow repeaters no matter how beautiful. I am glad you were able to get into your house, that could have been a very scary night outside. I like the suggested idea of a secret key just in case for the future.

Diane, thank you Rangiku thinks she is a perfectly human little girl and she is a lot of fun. I just keep going back to your pictures of Evelyn and drooling over her beauty. Your garden is amazing and your tick infested fields are very beautiful to me, such a natural unspoiled beauty all around is hard to find in this super developed world where houses get too close together. Your JC are ginormous yellow beauties. I also love your shot of Golden celebration and its super globular blooms are incredible.

Lisa I am really glad you are ok. You falling down sounds scary. One of my baby Mel's heritage has started growing a very good rate and it is 100% black-spot free without spraying. What a fabulous rose.

Kelly all your roses and companion plants are lovely. I really like what you are doing. Your kitten looks like a sweet little angel and is very fortunate to have you as a family. Your Spike is super cool also.

Pippa your Distant Drums looks fabulous. You mentioned not having it in the ground because you weren't sure on placement. What are your options? I think that round could blend really well in the garden with those soft colors.

Trish I am so glad your little girl is improving. I know all those vet visits can get exhausting. I really love your pond and can't wait to see how it all develops around it.

Hallo your Moonlight in Paris is incredible and you should keep posting lots of pictures to show her off. She looks very much like an Austin to me and the color is very sweet. Your pictures of Mary rose are great, she is one of my favorite Austins.

Ann thank you very much for the nice comments about Rangiku. Your Portlandia is a very beautiful rose. I have looked at her several times on the Heirloom website, but had never seen pictures from someone who actually have her. Will keep an eye on her for the future see if I can get any info regarding blackspot resistance.

Jim your hydrangeas are amazing and I love your geraniums.

Going to try to post pictures again because they wouldn’t post.

Baby Mel’s heritage is an unruly beast. My plan is to detangle it and wrap it on the 4x4 like one Paul Zimmerman videos. 100% clean.

This is what I am dealing with right now. =( I will start the milky spore this fall, but these guys are terrible.

So many pretty pictures have been posted lately, it's hard to keep up! So they all look amazing!!!

@flowers - that must have been frustrating about the door. We installed a key pad lock & I love it. I never have to take keys with me when I go out walking now. Or if I'm in the back and I go to the front door, I can easily get in if it's locked. It's very convenient.

@Ikaye - I planted Mary Rose last year. Had a couple blooms, they did not wow me. But this year it is knocking my socks off. I did not realize how pretty this one could be. I noticed the lilac undertones in the pink too. Anne's is a beautiful example.

Well it was a scorcher here the last few days, hot & humid. Even though we have had a lot of rain this spring, I had some wilters today. I had to water a few this afternoon. A couple were new this year & a few were ones I transplanted and I think they just don't have enough roots yet. A couple wilted so bad that the buds/blooms were shrivelling up and will probably be done by tomorrow. But it was the first time I've had to water this year, so I cannot complain about that.

Spent a lovely day with the family. We went to an air show down on our waterfront. We had a great spot in the shade by the lake. There was some single planes doing tricks, than a fighter jet blew our ear drums out. It was crazy loud and super cool to see. The big performance was the snowbirds team doing formation flying with 8 planes in unison. I enjoyed it, but the boys loved it. I was more thrilled looking at the garden beds and plantings along the walkways. They had a big bed that was just roses. All very hardy ones of course. It looked pretty good, except a few were behind on blooming & of course I left my phone in the car, so no pics. But they had a key so you knew what was what. I'll have to go back and take some pictures. It was all Canadian roses which was nice to see.

@Ikaye - Here's Mary this week. 2nd year rose.

Dianela

I am leaning towards putting Distant Drums in a spot in the garden sort of in the vinicinty of Felicia niw that I've seen the coloring of DD in person. There is also Violets pride near there so I think that area of the yard could work.

I'm loving this thread everyone has such great photos my want list is growing!!!

You all, especially Moses and Kristine, enabled me to get Quietness and I adore this rose. It blooms all the time. It is near Twilight Zone as has bloomed much more than TZ has so far. The blooms seem to shatter pretty quickly in this heat but it's just a baby still and they dont get crispy or look bad at any point.

It's just such a perfect glowy soft pink rose it definitely fits my cottge garden theme.

Flowers, I'm thinking on it for my front bed which has lilac and apricot. My Star of the Republic is proving to be extremely vigorous and I'd like to add more in that colour. I haven't ordered from Grace, but remember she does give a discount to GardenWeb people. I've never ordered from Heirloom. They do have some unusual roses so maybe after I get what I have planted, I'll consider it during their sale.

A few blooms from yesterday - the Lady Gardener, Patty's Plum poppy in front of blue, Alnwick, Carding Mill, Pilgrim & Gertrude.

Wow this THREAD is great!

BUT time to start a new Summer thread...

New Summer thread Here:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5733922/summer-is-here-seasonal-thread-part-2